Banquet captains work in high-end hotels, hospitals and banquet halls. Their primary responsibilities include preparing banquet rooms or events, supervising and coordinating the work of chefs and kitchen help and training banquet workers on proper service, sanitation and etiquette. Banquet captains also interact with guests to ensure all their food and drink requests are satisfied. They earn salaries averaging slight under $30,000 annually.

Salary and Qualifications

Banquet captains at the Hard Rock Café and Gramercy Park Hotel earn salaries as high as $99,000 and $70,000 annually, according to Careerbliss. But as of 2013, the average annual salary for a banquet captain was far less, at $27,000, according to the job site Indeed. The minimum requirements for a banquet captain are a high school diploma and at least two years' industry experience. Some employers may require their banquet captains to have associate degrees in restaurant management, hospitality or business or be certified in food service through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. To become certified, applicants must complete the required coursework and pass an examination. Food service managers must also be physically fit, calm under pressure and detail oriented. Other essential requirements are supervisory, math, cultural, customer service and organizational skills.

Salary by Region

In 2013, average salaries for banquet captains varied no more than $12,000 within any U.S. region, according to Indeed. In the West, they earned the highest salaries of $30,000 in California and the lowest of $18,000 in Hawaii. Those in the South earned $23,000 to $32,000 per year in Louisiana and Washington, D.C., respectively. Banquet captains made $20,000 to $29,000 in South Dakota and Illinois, respectively, which were the lowest and highest salaries in the Midwest. In the Northeast, they made the most in New York and the least in Maine -- $33,000 and $23,000, respectively.

Contributing Factors

A banquet captain can earn more in certain industries. Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't report salaries for banquet captains, it does for food service managers. Their salaries were highest working in general and surgical hospitals -- $71,650 per year. Food service managers also earned comparatively high salaries while employed at civic and social organizations -- $71,090 versus the industry average of $52,580 for all food service managers. Banquet captains may also earn more working for hospitals and civic organizations. They also earn more in New York and California because living and housing costs are higher in these two states. A banquet captain earning $25,000 in Birmingham, Ala., would need to make $61,738 in New York City to enjoy the same living standard. In San Francisco, she'd have to earn $45,908 -- or nearly 84 percent more.

Job Outlook

The BLS doesn't forecast jobs for banquet captains. It projects a 3-percent decline in jobs for the closely related career of food service managers through 2020, far below the 14-percent growth rate for all occupations. A decline in the number of dining establishments may decrease job opportunities for banquet captains. Those interested in becoming banquet captains should consider looking for jobs in high-growth areas with more new hospitals, hotels and social clubs.